Construction gaining ground in Palm Beach County

Building permits are piling up in Palm Beach County, though not all are getting approved.

A north county land planner George Gentile told attendees at the Economic Forum of Palm Beach County earlier this week that he has seen an increase in building permits, the creation of thousands of jobs and high demand in the unincorporated area.

Florida Power & Light received approval to develop an 86-acre campus in Palm Beach Gardens. Toll Brothers is almost done working on the Frenchman’s Harbor residential development near Juno Beach.

At the same time, a proposed 7,600-home development in Palm Beach Gardens called Avenir is plagued with environmental and traffic issues. A 10-acre Jupiter panel at a former waterfront mobile home park would need to be studied by archeologists before it is developed. The land likely contains historical artifacts underground.